


Hatchets and Videotapes (Major Spoilers!)

by CharbroilLaFlamme



Series: A Way Out: Fragments of Story [9]
Category: A Way Out (Video Game)
Genre: 1970s, Gen, Going undercover, Headcanon, Major Spoilers, Mild Language, Misplaced Anger, Prison, Revenge, Spoilers, Tags Contain Spoilers, Undercover, dealing with death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-06-07 15:14:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15221942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharbroilLaFlamme/pseuds/CharbroilLaFlamme
Summary: Vincent gets some advice.





	Hatchets and Videotapes (Major Spoilers!)

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer!:  
> This is headcanon stuff and may possibly not fit in with canon events!

Vincent had watched the video of Leo about five times. _That morning_.

Listening to the shouted questions that landed on deaf ears. Questions about Harvey. Questions about the Black Orlov. Questions about his intentions.

But the answers were nonexistent. A textbook example of the _silent treatment_.

Mounting a cruel, bitter disdain for the man. The suspect was mute in the video, and yet his eyes burned with his own brand of hate.

Soon, Vincent was shaking with rage.

“Vincent.” James said. “You’ve been at this for _days_. You’re not going to—“

“ _I know_.” He looked at James from the corner of his eye—with a painfully human biological need for revenge glowing in his pupil. “I‘m not going to bring him back. But I know this—this—“

“Accomplice.”

“ _Accomplice._ ” Vincent let the word fly abhorrently across his tongue. “I know this _accomplice_ knows something. Anything will help.” He stared at the screen, scowling. “But he won’t fucking _speak_.”

“Stewing won’t help. Stewing makes you _unfocused_. You shouldn’t—“

“This man was a _witness_ to Gary’s _murder_.” Vincent said. “If anyone’s gonna have an answer. It’s _him_. That’s why I’m doing what I’m doing.”

“The _prison_ thing. Right.” James said. “But you’ve been watching this for too long, now. It’s time to start thinking about how you can actually find the answer. Instead of torturing yourself.” He reached over and turned off the tape—much to Vincent’s chagrin. “It’s time to stop playing the blame game, Vincent. Regardless of what you might be feeling right now, Caruso is _not_ your enemy.”

“James,” Vincent said, turning in his chair. “He’s the closest thing I have to an enemy.” He looked at the counter shamefully. “Because I _let_ Harvey get away.”

“You didn’t _let_ him get away, Vincent, it happened too fast for you. Too fast for all of us.” James had guilt written on his face, he sighed, then squeezed his shoulder carefully. “But the whole reason you’re going incognito is to find common ground.”

James flipped open the Vincent’s manilla folder and began to sift through his research. “Caruso knows something, you’re right. But by hating him and blaming him because of his involvement, you are _denying_ yourself that common ground.”

James picked up a photo depicting Leo, a dim expression on his face, with a bruise on his brow and a tiny cut on his lower lip. “You don’t know him—you think you do—but you don’t. There are two sides to every story. You should know this by now. It’s what we _do_ , Vincent. We try to see _both sides_.”

“Where are you going with this, James?” Vincent said flatly. His fingers steepled, his gaze forward and meditative.

“You have your hatchet out for the _wrong_ man for the _wrong_ reason, Vincent. Bury it for another time.”

**Author's Note:**

> Notes!:
> 
> — Vincent was at one point blaming Leo for Gary’s death, and after the initial decision to go undercover to get to Leo, he starts to purely hate Leo due to his role in the incident.
> 
> — Vincent’s hatred was misplaced and he realises it some time after this point. He no longer hates Leo, but is indifferent and closed off to him.
> 
> — Vincent tries not to find anything beyond Leo’s role as a means to an end. He soon learns that the effort is for naught.
> 
> — Vincent is not normally an angry man, but some things can set him over the edge.


End file.
